


My Heart Is Yours

by Bremol



Category: Gilmore Girls
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-06-15
Updated: 2011-06-15
Packaged: 2017-10-20 10:51:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/211996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bremol/pseuds/Bremol
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Richard plans a very special Valentine's Day for Emily.</p>
            </blockquote>





	My Heart Is Yours

Emily stared in astonishment at the dozen long stem white roses in the box sitting on the foyer table.  They were absolutely stunning, and their fragrance filled her senses to the point of nearly making her dizzy.  Reaching out, she touched the petals of the top rose, sighing at the velvety softness.

“Oh, Richard,” she sighed as she picked up the card, the handwriting telling her that he hadn’t just called the order in. 

 _“My darling Emmy, these roses reminded me of your soft skin when I saw them so I decided to send this color instead of the customary red ones I have sent to you on this day in the past ~ Richard”_

Feeling tears pricking her eyes, Emily shook her head.  “Growing mushy in his old age,” she murmured even as a lone tear escaped, falling from her face to land on the delicate petal of a rose.  She knew it wasn’t old age, but was instead the fact that he’d come close to dying nearly a year ago.  The heart attack had changed her husband in ways that sometimes irritated her, and other times reminded her of the young man she’d fallen in love with.  This was one of the latter, albeit a bit more sentimental than in the past.

Taking the box, she made her way to the kitchen to where she kept the tall glass vases just right for the roses the box held.  She still couldn’t believe these had arrived only two hours after he’d left for the brunch meeting his client had insisted on having on a Saturday instead of a normal business day. 

“He’s been busy this morning,” she mused, which made her wonder just exactly what he had planned for the rest of the day.

Arranging the flowers, she shook her head.  “He even got the thornless ones,” she whispered as she placed the last one in the vase.  Tilting her head in, she inhaled the heady scent of the flowers once more before lifting the vase to take it upstairs to her bedroom, knowing that she wanted to keep them to herself. 

“Besides, you’ll be perfect for what I have planned for my husband when he arrives home this evening,” she told the delicate flowers as she sat them down on her bedside table a few minutes later.

“Now who?”  she wondered when she heard the doorbell ring. 

“Coming, Lydia,” she called when she heard the maid calling for her to come downstairs.

Lydia stood staring down at the box she held in her hand.  She’d never seen something so beautiful before.  “This just came for you, Mrs. Gilmore,” she told Emily as she stepped off the bottom stair.

Emily’s face light up.  “Oh my,”  she breathed as she took the heart shaped box, draped in red organza with one large crystal surrounded by smaller ones.  She knew what this beautifully decorated box held inside.  “Thank you, Lydia, go back to your work.”

“Yes, Ma’am,” the young woman answered as she turned to leave then stopped to answer the phone but paused when Emily spoke from behind her.

“Never mind that, Lydia, I’ll get it.”  Emily knew exactly who was calling.

 

~*~

 

Richard smiled at the sound of his wife’s voice.  “Hello, Emmy.  Turning into a mushy old man, huh?”  he laughed.  “Why?  Because I sent you roses and your favorite chocolates?”  He listened to her reply, loving that she was trying so hard not to sound as pleased as he knew she was.  “Well, we’ll see about that.  Now, the reason I called.  I’m going to be gone for a few more hours.  This man is being impossible.  I keep trying to remind him that we shouldn’t be conducting business, leaving our wives at home alone on Valentine’s Day, but the man says his wife doesn’t care for the holiday.  I’m sorry, Emily.”  He listened to her softly tell him it was alright, but he knew that it wasn’t, that she was upset that he wasn’t going to be home earlier.  His smile grew, she was in for more surprises, which he knew would soothe the hurt feelings she was trying to hide.

“I’ll be home for dinner, I promise, and then we’ll go out.  Maybe you could wear that lovely burgundy dress you look so beautiful in,”  he suggested and listened to her scoff at his compliment, something she always did when it came to that dress.  He had never quite understood why she didn’t believe him about the dress, but who was he to try and figure out a woman that had been confounding him for over forty years?

“Yes, Emmy, I’m going to wear a tux.  Well, maybe it’s a surprise where we’re going.  I love you and I’ll see you later.”  He hung up then turned to smile at his lunch partner.

“Grandpa, you’re positively devious.”  Rory grinned at the man sitting across from her looking very, very happy.

“Not devious, I just want this year to be special.”  Reaching over, he rested his hand over Rory’s.  “I know I scared her with my heart attack, and I know that I acted atrociously afterward, I’m trying to make up for that.  It’s been a long time since I’ve spoiled her like this on Valentine’s Day so I thought it was about time that I started acting like a man in love again instead of having my secretary order the flowers and chocolates.”

“She understood, Grandpa.”  Rory tried to comfort.

“I know, but I also know that she remembers a time when I picked the flowers out and wrote the note myself.  She’ll never admit it, but she misses that.  The heart attack didn’t just scare her, it scared me.  It took me a while, but I finally realized that the way I was acting before the heart attack, and definitely after, was putting us back down the path we’d been on when we separated.  I don’t want that, Rory.”

Rory smiled and squeezed her grandfather’s hand.  “You really have changed.  You never would have opened up to me like this before.”

“No, I wouldn’t have, you’re right.  But you’re an adult now, and in a relationship of your own, so you understand.”

“Yes, I do.  I’m happy you trusted me and asked me to help.”

“I couldn’t do it all by myself, and I didn’t want to tell Emily the secretary made the reservations.  That’s been done too many times.”

“I wish I could see Grandma when she gets the next gift.”

“I wish I could see her face, myself.  I know what her face looked like when she saw the roses and the Godiva chocolate, I’ve sent those before.”

“Godiva,”  Rory sighed.  “So good.”

“And your grandmother’s favorites.  It’s been years since I sent her any, but I’m sure she knew exactly what it was when she saw the box.”

“I’m sure.  That particular heart shaped box is hard to mistake for anything else.”

 

~*~

 

Emily shook her head as she stared down into another box of roses, this time in the palest of pink.  “Richard, what on earth?”  she wondered as she pulled out the card.

 _“I couldn’t resist these, either.  They reminded me of the way your skin looked that first time we made love, and every time there after ~ Richard”_

Emily felt herself blushing, hoping that her husband hadn’t let anyone see what he was writing.  This was twice now that he talked about her skin intimately, and she was beginning to wonder just how far he was going to go in his writings.  Shaking herself from her musings, she slipped the card back in its envelope then picked up the box of roses to make the trip to the kitchen once again.

“I can’t believe he’s sent me two dozen long stem roses.  Not only has he gone mushy, but he’s being extremely extravagant.”  She bit her lip as she stared at the box of chocolates sitting on the counter.  “I really shouldn’t, but,” she shrugged.  She’d worry about what these would do to her figure later.  Right now, she was going to enjoy a nibble or two.

“Oh, Mrs. Gilmore, they’re beautiful,”  Lydia exclaimed as she came into the kitchen, stopping to watch Emily fuss over arranging the flowers in another crystal vase.

“Yes, they are, Lydia.”

“It’s so romantic,”  Lydia sighed.

Emily shook her head.  “Go back to work now, Lydia.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

“Now he has the maid mooning about,”  she murmured as she carefully lifted the vase and made her way toward the stairs.  These roses were going to join the first ones.  After tonight she’d move them to other rooms in the house, but for now they were going to add to the ambiance she wanted for their room.  She had definite plans for how this day would end.

“Now what has he sent me?”  she wondered when the door bell rang again, sure that it was another messenger with something from Richard.

 

~*~

 

“Well, she should be getting the last gift now.”  Richard looked down at his watch.

“You never did tell me what that one was.”

“And I’m not going to.”  Richard smiled at his granddaughter.  “If your grandmother wants you to know what it is, she’ll tell you.  It’s,” he shrugged.  “I found something very special to the both of us, something that has always been just between us.”

“Now I’m really curious.”

“I promise I’ll tell your grandmother all about how you helped, and if she wants you to know the story, we’ll have you come over one day so she can tell you.”

“It’s okay, Grandpa.  It sounds like it’s something more than just special.”

Richard looked out the window.  “It is, Rory, it is.”  Squeezing her hand, he stood up.  “I need to go.  I have a dozen red roses to pick up before I go home.”

“Another dozen?  Wow,”  Rory whispered, her eyes big as saucers.

“Well, she has to have red roses to go along with the white and pink.”  He winked at the young woman as she stood up to hug him.  “Thank you for letting me spend the day with you, Rory.”

“I enjoyed it, Grandpa.  It’s not very often that we get to spend time together just the two of us.”

“No it isn’t.  Maybe we should remedy that.”

“Maybe we should.”  She kissed his cheek.  “Go on now.  You’ve got roses to pick up and a woman that I’m sure is anxious to see you.”

“Thank you again, Rory.”  Richard kissed the top of her head before grabbing his coat and opening the door.  “Have fun tonight.”

Rory winked and laughed.  “You, too.”

 

~*~

 

 _“Each time you read this may it remind you of my love for thee.  May you always remember the days of our youth when we spent lazy summer days under the old oak, enjoying this long ago love story.”_

Emily sat, tears in her eyes, staring down at the mahogany leather bound book.  The flowing script was gold and faded, showing the age of the volume.  The inscription inside had been what set off her tears.  The days that he spoke of were some of the happiest days of her life.  That summer, before they were married, they had spent time together just getting to know each other and preparing for their wedding.  Richard had found this book at the library one day and had brought it with him on their picnic.

Richard’s heart swelled with love when he walked into their bedroom to find his wife sitting on the edge of the bed, tears on her cheeks as she caressed over the title of the book he knew she’d cherish.  Moving to where she sat, he knelt down in front of her, placing his hand over hers. 

“Emmy,” he whispered causing her to look up at him.

“Oh, Richard,” she cried as she wrapped her arms around his neck.  “I can’t believe you remembered.”

Holding her and caressing her back, Richard kissed her head tenderly.  “How could I forget?  That time was one of the most wonderful times of our lives together.”

Sitting up and cupping his cheek in her hand, Emily sniffed then laughed when he wiped her face with his handkerchief.  “You’re growing very mushy and sentimental in your old age.”

“Why shouldn’t I be sentimental and mushy?  It’s the day for lovers, and this day is special for us because I’m here and healthy.”  He wiped more tears.  “Now, why don’t you go take a shower and put a warm cloth over those lovely eyes so they won’t be puffy when we go out.”

Smiling, she leaned forward and placed a soft kiss to his lips.  “Where are you taking me?”

“It’s a surprise.”

“Richard,” she fussed.

“No fussing.  Go on now.  I’m going to change and put a few finishing touches on things.”

Narrowing her eyes, she held his gaze.  “Things?”

“Yes, things,” he answered.  “You’re wasting time.  Our reservations are for seven.”

“Then I still have plenty of time.”

“No, dear, you don’t have as much as you think.” 

“Oh you’re exasperating,” she huffed as she stood up to walk away but stopped and turned back to him.

“What is it, Emmy?”  he asked at the look on her face.

“Nothing, just that I love you.”

“Then I’m a very lucky man.”

 

~*~

 

“The Mill on the River, Richard,” Emily exclaimed as they were taken to their table.  “You know how much I love this place.”

“I do,” he agreed.  “Which is why I chose to bring you here for dinner.”

Situating herself more comfortably in her chair, she frowned when she noticed the lack of menus.  “No menus?”

“No, no menus.”

“Richard,” she fussed at him.  “What are you up to?”

“I have pre-ordered our meal for the night.  In just a few minutes our appetizer for two will appear.”

“Appetizer for two?”

“Uh hum,” he nodded.  “Roasted vegetable antipasto for two.”

“Ooh,” she hummed her approval.

“I thought you’d like that.”  He winked at her then smiled when the waiter arrived and placed their dish on the table.  “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Sir.  The rest of your meal will arrive in fifteen minutes.”

Richard nodded and took a sip of his wine.  “Now, let’s see if this is as good as it sounds.”

Emily lifted her fork and carefully took a bite.  “Yes, it is,” she confirmed after she’d finished.

“And did you notice that it’s healthy?”  Richard asked with a chuckle.

“I did,” she answered with her own laugh.  “You’re pulling out all the stops tonight.”

“Of course I am.  It _is_ the night for lovers,” his voice dropped.  “and you _are_ my lover.”

Emily felt her cheeks flush.  “Richard,” she breathed as she looked around to make sure no one was close enough to hear.

“No one is close enough to hear what we say quietly to each other.  That’s why I asked Rory to make sure we got a quiet corner by the window.”

“Rory?”

Richard nodded.  “Yes, Rory.  I asked her to help me.  I couldn’t do everything by myself, and I didn’t want to have my secretary do it, so I asked Rory if she’d mind helping her grandpa out a bit.”

Emily smiled.  “I’ll have to be sure and thank her for being so sweet.”

“I told her I would tell you all about how she helped.  She was a bit curious about the book.”

“You told her about the book?”  Emily looked at him wide eyed.  “Richard.”

“Shh.  I didn’t tell her.  I told her the gift was something special to the two of us, and that if you wanted to tell her, we would invite her over one day so that you could share the story.  She was satisfied with that.”

Emily sighed, “She’s definitely not her mother’s daughter in that respect.”

“No, she isn’t.  Thankfully.”

Emily smiled.  “So?  What did you order for the main course?”

Richard shook his head, always the tactful subject changer, his wife.  “For you, the Balsamic-Glazed Long Island Crescent Duck.  For me, the restaurant’s signature dish, Redfish Nouvelle.”

“Ooh, Richard.  You know how much I love their crescent duck.”  She positively beamed at him.  “You really are spoiling me.”

“Of course I am.  Who else would I spoil on Valentine’s Day?”  He reached across the table to clasp her hand.  “I only have one person I want to spoil, any day, not just holidays.  I’ve had that same person in my life for over forty years.  I just forgot to spoil her for the last several years.”  Smiling at her and squeezing her hand, his thumb caressed the smooth skin of the palm.  “I plan to make up for all of those years I was too busy.”

“Oh, Richard,” she sighed.  “I understood.  You were busy making a life for us.”

“No.  No more understanding.  I don’t want you to be so understanding anymore.  I want you to tell me when I’m letting myself get too busy to spend time with you.  I don’t want to start taking you for granted again.”

Emily looked down at their joined hands.  “You’re going to make me cry,” she admitted quietly.

“I don’t want to do that.  Now, I believe I see our main course making its way to the table,” he tickled the palm of her hand and smiled when she laughed and pulled her hand back, rubbing it to get rid of the tingle he’d caused.

“What else do you have planned?”

“Oh, just wait until you find out.”  Richard winked when she frowned at him.  He knew how she felt about being kept in suspense.

 

~*~

 

“Richard, what on earth are you doing?”  Emily squealed as she wrapped her arms around Richard’s neck.

“I’m carrying my wife over the threshold,” he informed her.

“You shouldn’t be carrying me, period.”

“Oh nonsense.  You’re light as a feather, and it’s just into the bedroom.  It’s not as if I carried you all the way upstairs.”

Smiling, Emily nuzzled his neck just below his ear.  “You are definitely getting mushy in your old age.”

Stopping by their bed, Richard smiled at her.  “Not mushy, just smart.  I’m just remembering to show the love of my life exactly how much I love her.”

“Put me down now,” she whispered then kissed his ear.  “I have my own surprise.”

Gently setting her on her feet, Richard tucked a wayward tendril of hair behind her ear.  “Oh?  So I’m not the only one that had plans for tonight,” he guessed with a smile.

“No.” she smiled.  “You’re not.”  Resting her hand on his chest, she stared up into the blue eyes that she’d been staring into for most of her life.  “I’ll be right back.”

“I’ll be waiting.”  He leaned over and pressed a kiss to her forehead. 

When the bathroom door closed, Richard moved to the fireplace, thankful Emily hadn’t seemed to notice that it was ready to be lit.  He smiled when he realized she hadn’t noticed the red roses that had joined the white and pink ones already in the room when they had left earlier.

Staring at the roses, an idea popped into his head.  “She’ll really think I’ve lost my mind,” he murmured even as he moved to take two roses from each vase.

 

~*~

 

Emily stared at herself in the mirror, making sure that she looked just right in the long negligée she’d bought just for tonight.  The burgundy was almost the same shade as the dress she’d worn earlier, and she chuckled when she thought of how Richard’s mind and hers had seemed to be on the same track that day.  Fixing the lace strap just so on her shoulder, she turned once more just to be positive she didn’t look foolish.

Taking a deep breath, she opened the bathroom door and blinked at the change in their bedroom.  “Richard,” she breathed.

“I thought a fire and a few candles would set the mood.”

Looking around the room, her breath caught when she noticed the red roses sitting in several different places.  “You bought red roses too.”

“Yes,” he answered quietly as he took in the sight of her.  “You’re beautiful, Emmy.  You bought that just for me?”

“Just for you,” she agreed as she moved to stand in front of him.  “The roses are all so beautiful.”

“I meant what I said in the cards.  I really couldn’t make up my mind.  I had planned to just get red ones, but the white and the pink caught my eye and,” he shrugged.  “Well, you know the rest.”

Placing her hands on his chest, she stared up at him.  “Yes, I do.”  Her voice was low and husky.  “Is that really how you see me?”

Cupping her face in his hands, Richard caressed her cheeks with his thumbs.  “Yes, Emmy.  That’s really how I see you.”

Looking down, she shook her head before resting it against his chest, his heart beat steady beneath her ear.  Feeling his arms wrap around her, she relaxed further against him as he began to sway them.  There was no music, but they didn’t really need any.  They had been dancing together for so many years, their bodies knew the rhythm without needing music to keep time.

Richard inhaled the scent of her perfume mixed with the soft smell of her shampoo and pulled back to look down at his wife.  “I have one more gift for you.”  He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box.

“Oh Richard,” she breathed as she reached out to take the box.  Opening it, she gasped at what she found inside.  “Oh my god.”  The large heart shaped ruby had diamond baguettes on either side and sparkled in the firelight. 

Taking the box back, Richard took the ring out and placed the box on the mantle before turning back to Emily.  “I want you to know every time you look at this that my heart is, was, and always has been yours.”

“That’s why it’s a ruby instead of a diamond,”  she whispered, tears rolling down her cheeks as he slipped the ring onto her finger.  Her hands were shaking as she wrapped her arms around him.  “I was so scared, Richard.  So very scared.  My whole world was lying in a hospital bed and I didn’t know if he was going to make it through the surgery.”

“I knew you were scared, Em.  You may hide it well from everyone else, but I know you too well.”  He smiled and held her a bit tighter.  “You hold my heart, Emmy, and now anyone that sees that ring will know it.  I know I’ve acted terribly through the years.  I know that my actions up to the heart attack, and after, were leading us right back down the path that nearly tore us apart forever.  I realized that if I didn’t stop, I was really going to lose you this time, and I knew that I couldn’t let that happen.  I don’t know what I would do without you.  When we were separated, I was so lost.  I didn’t sleep well because I kept expecting your body to warm the other side of the bed, but then I would remember, and I’d lie awake praying to get you back.  Now I have you back in my arms and I intend to keep you there.”

Emily closed her eyes as the tears blurred them and leaned her head back against Richard’s chest.  “Sentimental old fool,” she murmured.

Richard chuckled and gave her a slight squeeze.  “Yes, I am.  But thankfully, I’m your sentimental old fool.”

Looking up at him, her dark eyes met his blue ones.  “Make love to me, Richard.”

“I thought you’d never ask.”

 

~*~

 

Emily’s eyes widened as she looked down at their bed.  “Rose petals,” she whispered then turned to look up at Richard.

Richard shrugged.  “I couldn’t resist.”

“We’ve never made love on rose petals before.”

“Never too old to try new things,” he winked at her, his hands reaching out to lift the straps of her negligée, his blue eyes watching as the satin and lace pooled around her feet.  “So beautiful,” he breathed as he moved his hands down her arms, up over her ribs to cup her breasts.

Emily swallowed the gasp that threatened to escape at the feel of Richard’s hands on her skin, his thumbs teasing her nipples into taut peaks.  She could feel her knees growing weak and bit her lip to try and focus her concentration on staying upright.

“Lay down, Em,” he whispered.

Laying down, Emily settled against the pillows and watched as Richard hastily took of his clothes.  “I was about to suggest you do that.  I was feeling a bit underdressed.”

Richard smiled at her as he reached for a red rose.  Sitting down on the bed beside her, he drew the rose across her lips then down her graceful neck.  “A rose for my rose.”

Emily gripped the sheets beneath her hands as her body shivered at the velvety touch of the rose against her skin.  This was a new sensation, one that she was enjoying immensely, but she missed the touch of his hands.

Richard smiled at her as he reached out to caress a hand over her stomach, somehow knowing what she was thinking.  “This rose is soft, but not as soft as you.”

“Silly man,” she whispered.  “I like the feel of the rose.  What made you think of it?”

“I just remembered what I said about the white and pink ones,” he shrugged.  “I thought you might enjoy the new sensation.”

“I do.”  She nodded and smiled up at him. 

Laying the rose down, Richard moved over her, leaning down to kiss her lips.  Moving his kisses across her face, he nuzzled that spot on her neck that always made her squirm and was rewarded with her doing just that.  The taste of her skin had always been addictive to him, something that he never really got enough of.  Taking a nipple between his lips, he rolled the peak against the roof of his mouth eliciting a whimper from his wife.

Her eyes were sparkling as she stared up at him, the passion burning in them like a black flame.  “Richard, please,” she begged as she arched against him.

Richard smiled as his hand skimmed lightly down her body and found the sensitive spot he knew always drove her mad.  A few sure strokes and she gave in, her soft whimpers filling the silence around them.  “Easy, Emmy,” he whispered against her ear, his teeth gently nibbling on the fleshy lobe.

Emily, her hands lying on either side of her head where they’d fallen earlier, took a deep breath to calm her erratically beating heart.  Richard had made sure to drive her mad before giving her what he’d made her body crave, and she was weak and limp with the wonderful hum of climax. 

“It is isn’t polite to be so smug,” she whispered as she opened her eyes to look at him.

Richard chuckled and kissed her nose.  “I have every right to be smug.  I have the most beautiful woman in the world in my bed.”

“Oh brother,” she shook her head.  “Now I definitely know you’re a fool.”

“I never said I wasn’t,” he agreed with her.  “I’m extremely happy to be a fool, as long as I’m yours.”

“You’ll never be anyone else’s,” she told him, her voice husky.  Raising her arms, she wrapped them around his neck, bringing his head closer to hers.  “Shut up and kiss me.”

“Gladly, Mrs. Gilmore.”

Emily moaned as his tongue traced her lips before gently slipping inside to tangle with hers.  Wrapping her legs around his hips, her breath caught when she felt him slowly sliding deep within her.  “Richard,” she breathed as she grasped his shoulders.

“Slow and easy, Em.  Slow and easy.”

“But not too slow,” she whispered as she moved against him.

“Be good, Emmy,” Richard growled at her as he pulled her hands from his shoulders, tangling their fingers together.  Holding her gaze, he picked up the pace, giving her what she wanted.

“Yes,” she hissed and tightened her fingers against his.  She could feel another climax building, the burn spreading through her blood.

Richard knew she was close, so was he, but he kept his eyes locked with hers, watching as each emotion she felt flickered through her eyes.  “I love you, Emily,” he whispered.

“I know, and I’m so glad that you do because I love you too,” she whispered back just before her breath caught.  Closing her eyes, she let her orgasm wash over her at the same time as Richard’s climax.  Her last coherent act was to smile at the sound of her name on his lips just before he collapsed against her.

 

~*~

 

Richard rubbed his hand softly up and down Emily’s arm, enjoying the feel of holding her naked body against his own.  They hadn’t made love like that in a very long time and right now he was feeling very satisfied and very happy.  He knew that Emily felt the same way just simply by the fact that she was still laying in his arms without her clothes.  He chuckled a bit.  This had been a point of contention with them down through the years.

“What are you chuckling about?”  she whispered, her hand lightly caressing his chest, her foot rubbing slowly up and down his leg.

“You, laying here naked.”

She sat up a bit and frowned at him.  “My being naked makes you laugh?”

Richard shook his head and laughed even more.  “No, Em.  It’s you _still_ being naked that makes me laugh.  Remember how many times we’ve argued over you staying naked?”

“Oh,” she blushed as she laid back down, her head once more over his heart.  “I won’t be putting a nightgown on tonight,” she whispered.

“I’m glad.  I like the feel of you next to me like this.”

“There’s just one problem,” she informed him.

“Problem?  What problem?”

“I believe I have rose petals in places they don’t belong.”

Richard couldn’t help it, he burst out laughing as he squeezed her close.  “Why don’t we take bath?  Bubbles and all?”

“Bubbles and all?  You’re going to take a bubble bath with me?”

“I’m not letting you take it by yourself.”

Sitting up when he did, she smiled.  “I’ll go run the bath, you get rid of the rose petals.”

“Will do, Mrs. Gilmore,” he whispered as he pulled her mouth to his.

“Mmm,” she murmured before pulling back.  “That kind of kiss will keep us from the bath.”

“Or maybe make the bath a little more fun.”  He winked at her as he watched the blush tinge her face.

“Richard,” she breathed.  “behave.”

“I’m always perfectly behaved.”

Rolling her eyes, she got up, grabbing the negligée that had been dropped by the fire and slipped it over her head.  “Don’t be long.”

“You do realize I’m just going to take that off again,” he informed her as he pointed at the satin and lace.

“Of course I do,” she winked then walked toward the bathroom with an exaggerated sway to her hips.

“Cheeky!” he called out to her as he stood up and stared down at their bed.  She was right, the rose petals were all over the bed, and he knew he’d seen at least one or two stuck to her beautiful behind.  Throwing back the covers, he swiftly ran his hands over the bed to get rid of the petals, anxious to join his wife.

 

~*~

 

Emily sighed as she snuggled closer to her husband.  “I think I like taking bubble baths with you.”

“I don’t think, I _know_ I like taking baths with you.  Bubbles or no bubbles.”

“You used to take baths with me quite often,” she reminded him.

“I know I did.  I want to be like that young man again.  The man that paid more attention to his wife.”

Emily stared at her ring, the flickering light from the fire Richard had once again built up, making the ruby look like it was on fire itself.  “Richard,” she whispered.

“Yes, Emmy?”

“Will you read to me from the book?”

Richard smiled and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.  “Of course I will.”  He sat up a bit and reached over to turn on the lamp then picked up the book.  “Where should I begin?  At the beginning?”

“No.”  She shook her head.

“Ah, I remember.”  Turning a few pages, Richard began to read the passages he knew she loved.  “O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely.”

Emily closed her eyes and settled back against her pillow as the deep mellow sound of her husband’s voice lulled her into a peaceful slumber, memories becoming dreams of years gone by.

Richard read a bit more, knowing that his wife was asleep, then stopped and looked over at her, quoting from memory.  “And the roof of thy mouth like the best wine for my beloved, that goeth down sweetly, causing the lips of those that are asleep to speak,” he whispered before placing the book back on the nightstand and turning off the lamp. 

Settling down against his own pillow, he reached out and picked up her hand, bringing it to his lips to place a soft kiss against the back.  “I love you, Emily Gilmore.  Happy Valentine’s Day.”

Emily smiled in her sleep.  “Richard,” she murmured as she snuggled closer to him.

Richard smiled and closed his eyes.  Tonight was the start of what he hoped would be a better year for them.  He hoped that tonight he had turned the direction of their lives down a different path.  A path that would lead to them being happier than they’d ever been.

 


End file.
